My Shadow of Better Days
by 9chan
Summary: Everything seemed to have changed for Sakura Haruno, who's returned to Konoha. Kakashi's hokage and Naruto's a hero. A reunion with Team 7 as so she thought, but with Sasuke's disappearance, it's never going to be the same. New connections are formed and trusts will be broken.
1. Prologue

**author's note~  
****I do not own Naruto.  
Naruto and other characters are a copyright of Masashi Kishimoto, etc.**

_Hi guys! Well it's summer vacation and nonetheless I don't have anything planned for the summer. This story popped into my mind one day after reading the latest manga chapter of Naruto. Anyways hope yall enjoy the story and p__lease review! I need to know if I'm doing this right(lol) and feedback is always appreciated. It's also sometimes difficult being the proof__reader of your own work so please don't mind my errors:)_

_*caution~ there maybe spoilers among these pages!_

* * *

Pr**o_l_**o**g**u**e**

I awoke, sweating, gritting my teeth. Tying my hair up, I went to the bathroom. The cold was soothing against my skin as I countlessly drenched my face. It cooled me off from the warm summer heat. I stood there gazing at myself in the mirror and wondered_. It has been five long years hasn't it?_ _And it's finally time I can go home._ _I can finally show Naruto and Sasuke that they don't have to protect me anymore…and that I'm no longer the little girl they once saw. And maybe...,_ I smiled at myself in the mirror; _I can finally have that chance_. I grabbed my brush and stared down at my long pink locks. _Wow, I didn't realize how long it's gotten since the chuunin exams. And it's about time I create a new image of myself…starting tomorrow!_ I went back to bed and stared at the clock; 12:13am. _Oh boy, it's barely passed midnight! My last day of training with Haruka-sensei is tomorrow and I can't even get a wink of sleep!_

_._

_.._

_._

"SAKURA!" a familiar voice shouted from below. I shot straight out of bed and looked at the clock.

"Oh no," I muttered to myself, "I must have forgotten to set the alarm!" I quickly grabbed the clothes that were lying on the floor from yesterday. _This will have to do_, I thought.

I rushed downstairs and outside. The morning heat was already beginning.

"I'm sorry I'm late Haruka-sensei, it won't happen again!" I breathed out, quickly stretching myself.

"Of course it won't happen again, because this will be the last time I will have you as my student," she smirked. Takahashi Haruka has been my mentor for the last five years. Kakashi-sensei was chosen to become the next hokage of the leaf village since Tsunade-sama was still in a coma, he suggested that I was to train under her for a maximum of five years, after all Takahashi Haruka was a well-known sannin up north of the Land of Fire, and with her approval and a physical evaluation, I left the leaf village. I haven't heard from any of my friends for the last years, as Haruka-sensei was strict and our training ground was miles away from the nearest village and was situated between rugged forests. She liked the peace and the rural areas.

I smiled at her and readied myself for I knew this was going to be the last session of teacher versus student. I got to hand it to her, Haruka-sensei was all about speed and strength, and that's what she trained me for. It takes a lot of chakra control to move your body and your feet at great speed. And her strength was immense. This was the art of taijutsu. Haruka-sensei was both a master at taijutsu and medical ninjutsu. But what I liked about Haruka-sensei was that she was cunning and remained cool under pressure, something I'm still trying to learn. I could still remember the days during the beginning of training when I was still trying to perfect my mystical palm technique, and no she didn't yell at me for my errors. Instead she would stare me down and tell me to do it again. She had a mane of bright red hair that was always kept up in a neat pony tail and her eyes were clear as water. In fact, sometimes I wonder if she spends a lot of time to beautify herself.

I blinked for a second and Haruka-sensei was gone. Instinct kicked in, gathering chakra below my feet and summoning it to the other parts of my body; I was able to pull out a shuriken from my pocket in a flash and immediately blocked the kunai that was aimed before me. Haruka-sensei was at my front the whole time. _Why couldn't I see her?_ I thought, as I slashed the kunai from her hand.

"You're distracted," she said.

I blinked at her. And yet again she was fast as lightning, this time I was ready. I clenched my fist and felt her presence above me. I slid my heel to widen my base and this time I jerked my body upward to prepare to ascend. I motioned a set of hand signs. It was a feeling like no other and to your mind it was as if that moment had slowed down. I angled my body correctly to gain momentum and then clenched my fist; I could feel the tingling sensation of chakra at my wrist, spreading to my palms that ended at my fingertips. The moment passed and now gravity was slamming me towards her. This time I was as high as her. There was a huge thud. The impact of my fist had created fissures in the ground below me. She was nowhere to be seen. I grunted as I felt the sharp point of a kunai against my throat. I knew it would be over if this was the scenario.

"Never let your guard down," she said, "I could've easily killed you."

I sighed as I got up. "But I let you win."

She frowned at me.

"Nevertheless, I was impressed," she shrugged. "You've improved a lot. That's a report I'll have to send back to Kakashi."

I smiled happily back at her. _Yes! That's right! Wait 'til Kakashi reads this! _Apparently my inner self has not left my side.

"Anyways Sakura, I'm giving you the rest of the day, what do you call it, a parting gift. You'll need rest for your travel back to Konoha tomorrow morning."

"You're not coming?"

"No not at this time."

"Ok sensei."

.

..

.

I was packing my things that evening when Haruka-sensei came in.

"Here," she said, as she handed me a box. I looked at her surprisingly and opened it.

"Wow, thank you sensei!" I immediately took out the set of clothing that was folded neatly. At the bottom of the box laid a small book. It seemed old from the looks of it and its pages were made out of parchment paper. The cover was brown and wrinkly; its title was faded so I could hardly make out the words. Inside were hand written seals and symbols along with descriptions and examples of its uses. Some pages were torn out.

"A little light reading on the way wouldn't hurt. As for the clothes, well, you could use some new ones."

"Thank you so much sensei!" I happily stood up to give her somewhat of a hug that she awkwardly accepted.

"It was mine when I was a student given by my teacher, now it's yours; for your reference and for you to expand your knowledge yourself."

"I will of course!"

Later that night, I concocted a mixture of ginseng, aloe, and black dye. I tested it on my skin for signs of an allergy. And then, without further hesitation, I applied it throughout my hair. After washing it out thoroughly, I grabbed a brush and turned to the mirror. It was a surprise. The pink locks I somehow expected to see were gone and instead I saw someone else. A girl stood before me, with long raven black hair, her bright green eyes now seemed to pop out. And she was smiling_. Well at least the frame of my forehead looks smaller in contour with my face_, I thought, satisfied.

.

..

.

I awoke, this time with no sleep disturbances. It was four in the morning as I showered. The set of clothes that Haruka-sensei gave me were quite different from the usual red dress I'd always wear which no longer fit me. It was a plain grey sleeveless dress that was tight on my breast area but loose when it reached below my thighs, it as well had two slits on each side and accompanying black shorts. It fit perfectly and it didn't constrict any movements. A long-sleeved midriff with a hood, which I assumed was made out of the finest wool, and a pair of knee socks that reached my thighs, also made of the wool I expected, were way too hot for the weather. I packed them away in my knapsack along with the book, a few of my belongings, and a some weapons. Lastly, I grabbed the head piece from under my pillow. My fingers slid over the cool metal and then to the engraved symbol that represented my village. So many memories went through my mind. This time I wouldn't be caught wearing it through my hair like a child. I wrapped it tightly around my left arm.

Making my way downstairs, Haruka-sensei was already preparing my meals for the day.

"Good morning sensei!" I greeted as I took an apple from the table.

"Good morning Sakura," she replied, handing me the food that was wrapped as I placed it in my bag. She turned to me and stared. "Looks like they fit you perfectly and what did you do to your hair?!"

"Yeah, they sure do and they're super comfortable too. Oh and I thought I'd do something to make myself look more mature."

She frowned at me once more and then looked at my bare feet. "You'll need the warm clothing later as you travel south, it will get cold. Oh, I almost forgot." She grabbed the pair of shoes that were on the counter behind her and gave them to me. They were dark grey and seemed a little dusty but I didn't mind. I flipped it over, the sole had two unfamiliar seals engraved.

"These will aid you in controlling and releasing your chakra with forty percent accuracy."

"I can't wait to try these!" I put them on quickly.

Haruka-sensei walked me outside. I turned to the house to take a last look. It was small but it was a piece of home I knew. It was still dark but in this countryside, stars lit up by the thousands. She walked me to a wide dirt road that led to the forest.

"I packed a map with your belongings, anyways this main road heads south. It'll take you a day and a half on foot."

"Thank you sensei," I turned to her, "for everything."

"I want to hear from you when you get back alright and one more thing Sakura, be strong." She squeezed my shoulder.

I pulled and turned the opposite way. "As always, sensei."

I could feel her watch me as I made my way and wondered what she was thinking about.

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_That's about it for the prologue. Next up will be Chapter 1 soon, keep updated and review about that you thought about it. :3 Thank you for reading!_


	2. Chapter 1

**C**h**a**_p_**t**e**r 1**

The gates of Konohagakure were finally in view. Butterflies were swirling in my stomach, was I nervous? No, I shouldn't be. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. _What if they don't recognize me?_ I thought. I fixed myself and my hair. Clutching the straps of my bag I slowly approached the gate. Two guards were situated up above on the search tower. I signaled my hand to them as I took down my hood. The midriff and socks came to be pretty useful after all. I almost forgot that the nights down south were cold.

"Name," one of them called out.

I looked up. "Haruno, Sakura."

One talked to the other for a brief moment as they exchanged looks.

"Reason for departure?"

I frowned. "Student of Takahashi Haruka under the five-year contract approved by the hokage, Hatake Kakashi. Here to return in behalf of the termination of the contract." _Were they not informed that I was supposed to arrive?_

They looked at me for another moment as if they didn't recognize me. I couldn't help but smile. Another signal and the gates slowly opened. What I saw next shocked me.

I walked in slowly, some parts of the village were undergoing repair, and a few houses were totally destroyed. _Had there been an attack? _I thought. I followed on to where the damage took most of its toll. Beside a few buildings was a huge crater. People were cleaning up rubble on the side. I approached an old woman who was sweeping.

"Excuse me, but what happened here?"

She looked at me with astonishment. "Are you from around these parts?"

"I've lived here my whole life I was just gone for a little while."

She looked at me more closely. "Well I'll be! Sakura Haruno, is it? Welcome back!"

"Thank you," I smiled, so tell me what happened?"

"It was Naruto!" she smiled happily. "He saved our village from an attack."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. _Naruto, _I thought. _That idiot really did it._ My inner self shook her head in disbelief.

"Who attacked the village?"

The old woman came closer to me. "I'm really not supposed to say but it's been going around that it was an organization called the Akatsuki that was responsible." She was whispering.

_What could the Akatsuki want with the village? _

"Well, it was good Naruto was around." I grinned. "Thank you for the info I'm going to head home now."

I turned to leave. The old women just smiled and turned back to her sweeping.

As I walked, I couldn't help but think, why didn't Haruka-sensei tell me about what's happened? Did she not know either or she didn't want to tell me? Maybe she was ordered to be silent about it. I wonder what else has gone on. I walked by Ino's flower shop which seemed much busier than I've ever seen it but she wasn't there. I passed by the ramen shack, a delicious aroma filled the air and made me feel nostalgic. I finally arrived at the doorstep of my house.

Well it's been a while but my house didn't change at all. I was reaching for the doorknob when I noticed that someone had forgotten to close the door tightly. _Weird, mom always locks the door, even when she's inside. _I slowly opened it. The lights were all off, I reached to the side for the switch but there was no power. _What now._ I swung the door open to allow some light to seep through. And then what followed after was a definite surprise.

There was a loud, "Welcome back Sakura!" and the lights turned on. Familiar faces filled my small living room. Ino squeezed me in a tight hug. She'd gotten taller which kind of overwhelmed me.

"It's nice to see you too Ino," I said trying to breathe.

She released me. "What did you do to your hair!" she gasped.

I shrugged. "Does it look alright?"

"Not as good as mines," she sneered, flipping around her mane of long blonde hair.

"Sakura-chan! It's good to see you again!"

I turned. Rock Lee caught me by surprise as he tried to hug me too and yet I dodged it.

"It was nice to see you too bushy brow!" I gaped.

He grinned as his large eyes gawked at me. "You look so different!" He had that stare again.

"It's her hair," Ino snorted.

I beamed back at her. "Don't hate Ino-pig," I retorted.

I was happy everyone came to greet me. All my old classmates were there, even Neji came along. They weren't the kids I once remembered from the chuunin exams, they grew up.

"You didn't forget me, did you?" a familiar voice came from the doorway.

I spun around to see a figure leaning against the frame. "Naruto!" I said as I went to embrace him in a hug.

"I'm glad you're back, Sakura!" He said as he hugged me back tightly.

_Naruto's as tall as me now and he feels...different_. I pulled away quickly, shaking the thoughts from my mind.

"And I'm glad you're alright." I smiled.

"Of course!" he smirked.

I looked over his shoulder. "Where's Sasuke?"

Everyone in the room grew quiet. I looked around, expecting him to pop out somewhere.

"What's happened? Where is he?" My heart skipped a beat, I knew something wasn't right.

"Sakura…" Naruto said, scratching his head. _He's thinking of something to say_.

"Naruto, where is Sasuke?" I demanded. _Just say it._

Ino approached me. "Sakura, why don't you sit down?"

I took a seat. _What was going on?_

"Alright everybody, party's over. You all can go home now." Ino motioned them to leave. I knew she was giving them signals. "See you around Sakura," they said. I bid goodbye to everyone. Now it was just Ino, Naruto and I. There was that awkward silence.

"Will you guys just spit it out?!" I waved at my own irritation.

Ino made a gesture at Naruto, who stepped forward.

"Well Sakura…" he began, "Sasuke's gone."

"He's dead?" I immediately shot up from my seat. Ino frowned at Naruto's rationalization.

"No, Sakura," she said, "Sasuke left the village."

"So when is he coming back?" I stared at them, waiting for the answer I needed, no _wanted,_ to hear.

There was another awkward silence. "Sakura," Naruto began again, "he left on his own with missing nins from the sound village, to Orochimaru. That was 3 years ago."

I opened my mouth to utter words but Ino cut me off.

"That was the last news of him until recently," she continued, "we've heard rumors that he's killed Orochimaru but his whereabouts are still unknown."

I remained silent, trying to take everything in and yet wanting so much to deny it. "But he's coming back," I murmured. "He has too!" My throat grew dry._ Oh God, please don't start crying Sakura, you're better than this. _Yet, it's always difficult to stop yourself from bawling. I bit hard on my lower lip to hold myself. _Stupid Sakura, why are you crying over something you never even had?_

Ino stroked my shoulder. "Sakura-"

"Don't you get it Sakura!?" Naruto interrupted. I could see tears form in his eyes too. "He's committed crimes against the village and for all we know he could be allied with Akatsuki, there is no coming back for him!"

"Naruto!" Ino glared at him.

He couldn't take it. Naruto made his way for the door. And I stood there, devastated and numb, at what Naruto just told me and what he just did.

"Don't worry about Naruto," Ino said turning her attention back at me, "it's been a whole lot harder on him."

I nodded. That was all I could've done at that moment.

"We're all glad your back, Sakura, especially Naruto." She smiled.

"Thank you Ino." I hugged her.

"As always billboard brow," she replied. All I could do was smile.

.

..

.

I was unpacking my things that evening. From my bag, I took out a frame. It was a picture of us, all three of us, with Kakashi-sensei in the background. We were happy…were we? I looked at Sasuke in the picture and set it down on my bedside table. The tears started up again as I frantically wiped them away. It was never going to be the same. I justified Sasuke's reasons for his departure. He wanted revenge on his brother. Something he's been wanting all along. Maybe he didn't care about us after all; we probably were just obstacles that kept getting in the way. Strange feelings overwhelmed me, I was angry at Naruto for what had happened earlier but I also felt a burden for that anger. Naruto is a good friend and I know he did what he could to prevent Sasuke from leaving. After all, it was the first for Naruto to have a close tie with somebody; I knew it was something he'd never had as child growing up. Maybe this anger I'm feeling is toward Sasuke _or_ at myself for acting so pitiful. I shook my head. _A hot shower would help me clear my mind._

Afterwards I set my things aside. I felt super comfortable and my mind just slipped away. I took out the book I'd forgotten to read on the way back. _Right so._ I examined its pages; some of it was splattered with weird stains…dark stains. _Is this blood?_ I thought. Examining it more carefully, I noticed the stains were only on the last few pages. _That's weird._

My mind was caught up in the book I didn't notice the noisy tapping on my window. I got up and slid them open. It was pretty dark outside.

"Sakura-chan!"

It was Naruto. I looked down, pretending to not be interested. "What is it Naruto?"

"I'm sorry about earlier. I really am!" He had his puppy eyes on.

I waited, tapping my fingers on the window sill.

"Alright, I'll make it up to you with ramen, my treat!" He said desperately.

I smiled, I really couldn't help it. "Ok Naruto, I'll be down in a second." I closed the window.

"Yes!" I heard him yell from the outside. _Nevermind, it's still same old Naruto._

I put on the warm midriff and the pair of socks as I headed out to meet him outside. It was a chilly evening. We walked in silence to the ramen shack.

"Hey Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry." _He really did mean it and I know when he's goofing off._ "I don't know what happened, I guess all this anger was waiting to burst out."

"Hey don't worry about it." I smiled cheerfully at him. "But dinner's still on you!"

"Not if I can't afford the bill!" He laughed loudly and grinned.

I shoved him hard and snorted. He rubbed his shoulder.

"Jeeze when did you become so strong?"

"We need a lot of catching up to do," I sneered, as we entered that little place with the familiar aroma.

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_alright so chapter 1 was a bit quick, but chapter 2 will be a bit longer. i wanted you guys to get a feel of the story first. so keep updated and please tell me about what you think so? _

_:39chan_


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